Life & Work with Beth Dryden

Today we’d like to introduce you to Beth Dryden.

Hi Beth, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Ten years ago, I owned a boutique graphic design business. I really wanted to make something unique to hold my client’s business cards. At first, I started making these out of handmade papers: a business card book of sorts with Japanese five stitch binding.

As I was out one day shopping for supplies, I happened upon some leather scraps. I loved the raw edges, markings, and textures. I just started making things. Even without the proper leather-working tools, patterns, or general knowledge. It was free form, organic. Off the cuff. Just letting my creativity flow, nothing stopped me as I forged ahead.

Over time, experience has led to more knowledge in the craft. Refining processes without relinquishing the original, rustic aesthetic. Creating distinctively designed and carefully crafted pieces has been a journey of pure heart and discovery that never disappoints. I’m an artist and leather is my medium.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This 10-year journey has been nonlinear with hiccups, successes, stepping backward, and jumping 10 feet ahead. It would be hard to discuss ALL the hits or misses thus far, but I want to highlight some of the most important ones. Being a creative entrepreneur is tough. It’s not glamorous and it’s not easy. Yet, I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.

A huge challenge, in the beginning, was where to source decent leather scraps to repurpose. This became easier over time as I looked beyond my local craft store and purchased leftovers from other leather workers. It has also been a challenge learning how to price my art from a business/financial mindset as opposed to an emotional/vulnerable one. If this was to provide a sustainable income, I had to be realistic about it. This is an ongoing challenge, but it has become easier over time.

For 6 yrs, this was a side-gig. I had an Etsy shop and participated in most of the local festivals. It was a season for learning, sourcing, and growing. Eventually, I felt ready to jump into the wholesale side of retail after years of turning it down. There was much deliberation about a shop owner making money on my art (my heart), but having heard more about how it works during a Maker’s Summit workshop, I was enlightened and decided to go for it. God gave me a gift and it needed to be shared. Grateful for the opportunity, I took that leap of faith and went full time.

The wholesale path was eye-opening. There was no formula for how to do “one-of-a-kind” wholesale. So I made up my own rules based on my previous retail/buying experience as well as the skills from my display and exhibit design degree. I created point-of-purchase displays at various price points and sizes that a buyer could choose from. They could order, open the box, price their items, and put it on the shelf or table. I wanted to make it easy on them as this was not a traditional wholesale approach. I designed my digital “look book” (from which buyers could order) to have dimensions and photos of an example product with an explanation that each piece they would receive is unique, one-of-a-kind and no two would ever be the same due to the scraps on hand. This model worked well but was time-consuming. My dad was building my displays, packaging and shipping were expensive and cold-emailing buyers was challenging. I decided to pivot, and join a few online wholesale marketplaces, like Faire, and everything became more streamlined.

A year and a half in wholesale, came the pandemic. Not only was I dealing with shops that bought from me having to shut down, but I also lost vision in my right eye due to a medical condition that damaged my optic nerve and the right side of my body. A scary thing to go through at the beginning of a pandemic, but after a month and some time in the hospital, my vision returned (thankfully); however, I was still dealing with not getting wholesale work. Things eventually began to pick up which was a good thing, but after three years of the hustle, I started to get burned out on making the same pieces, even if they were one-of-a-kind. It was wearing on me mentally and physically and I had finally hit my creative capacity for this type of work. My best holiday season was at the end of 2021 and I was high on it, but when I had downtime over Christmas, I realized it was time for a pivot. A major pivot. That was such a freeing concept and I was so grateful for the time to explore it as there were so many things I wanted to change about my brand: processes, materials and overall brand voice.

In Jan. 2022, I began that new journey of rebranding. One huge challenge was finding my voice for this new venture and so I hired a local writer to help me discover it. I also had never used hardware (zippers, snaps, and such) and felt that was a huge customer need so I wanted to provide it. Up to this point, I had never used a machine to sew. Each piece had always been hand-stitched, but I knew to work more productively and with less wear and tear on my body, I needed to purchase a machine. There is a huge learning curve there, but I know in time it will all come together.

I am ever grateful for the past 25+ years as a photography student, graphic and web designer, visual merchandiser for retail and catalogs as well as a design director in the corporate world. It has prepared me to wear ALL the hats… I am my own marketer, designer, stylist/photographer, social media guru, packer/shipper, networker/sales, and of course the artist/maker among other things. All of this, along with the people I’ve met and the places I’ve been, has opened my eyes and has given me the confidence to forge ahead. It’s awesome and a bit humbling when I look back and see all that played a part in where I am at this point…my family, with their love and support, has been undoubtedly a huge proponent in my success. With all the new obstacles that have come with this rebrand, I’m ready for them, and overall just excited about this refreshing surge of creativity.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I find beauty in all things that are less than perfect. Multi-layered with depth, soul…scars. This rebrand from Bernice London to 1974 Leather Co. was a shift in perspective on both an artistic and business front. It’s where the past 10 years have led me, shaped me, molded me. It’s more refined. More intentional. Slower made. Off-the-cuff. It’s about celebrating beautiful veg-tanned hides and creating distinctively designed collections. 1974 is a state of mind. Where stories have seeped in, dwelling in each piece of leather before it’s even made into the heirloom it will become. Pieces that will be trusted companions for folks on their uniquely textured journey. It’s these moments where those connections craft our legacies and weave us into the unique humans we become. Never linear. Never perfect. Never stays the same. But what I love the most, is how these pieces of functional art, go from my hands to my customers becoming an extension of them on their own unique journey acquiring more beauty and character over time. There is a bit of magic there.

What do you think about luck?
Luck is an interesting word. I believe God is guiding my path so it will unfold as it should and in its own time. With that belief, I do consider myself lucky. I also believe what is meant for me will not pass me by which helps me to be patient during those slower times. As Paulo Coelho says in my favorite book, The Alchemist, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

Contact Info:

• Website: www.1974leather.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1974leatherco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1974leatherco
• Other: www.bethdryden.com